The Grapes of Wrath is a novel written by John Steinbeck in the year of 1939. It takes place during the tragedy of Oklahoma, the Dust Bowl in the midwest. In the middle of summer, the cornfields are shriveling up because of the waterless drought they are in. The dust is filling the skies and every single crop is drying and dying.
Women are fearful of their husbands falling off the wagon and giving up, but the men know that if they stick together, they will overcome these obstacles. Families are forced to leave their farms to survive and to search for a new life. Most families travel in search of work to be done and money to be made. California is the place to go.
Tom Joad is the main character in Steinbeck’s piece. He had just got of prison from a 4 year sentence for manslaughter. In the beginning of the store, Tom hitchhikes and stops by the Joad’s farm, and on the way home, he encounters and old friend, Jim Casy. Casy was the preacher in Tom’s church when he was younger.
Tom catches up with his old friend and explains how he just got out of prison. Casy does not mind and speaks his mind about his own thoughts. He explains that the human spirit is the holy spirit. Jim Casy believed that his affection towards other women affected his work, which made him think that being a preacher just was not the right job for him. After a few chats between the two, they both make their way towards the Joad’s home.
Landowners and banks were buying many properties to make profit off of them. As a result, farmers are forced to leave their land and are left with no work or money. Many protests began and the word was out that there was work in California. Arriving at Tom’s old home, both Tom and Casy realize it has been abandoned. Muley Graves, Tom’s old neighbor, explains that the Joads have been kicked out of their home and had to leave their farm because the banks purchased the land.
While searching for the rest of Tom’s family, Tom is told that the rest of his family has moved in with his Uncle John and that they will be leaving to California soon. Car salesmen know that many people will need some sort of automobile or vehicle to travel from Oklahoma to California, so they take advantage of that. Car prices go up and people are scammed of their money. Salesmen offer bad and destroyed car appliances to people, knowing that they will buy them.
Ready to go on the road, the Joads take their new boxcar to travel to California. While driving, the Joads stop and they park next to a helpless couple who are also immigrants, the Wilson family. Their car is broken and they can’t go anywhere with it. The Joads decide it is better for all of them to travel together to California.
As both families barely make it into the state of New Mexico, the Wilson’s vehicle malfunctions for yet a second time, and because of this, both families have to stop their road trip because they want to stick together and continue driving on the road to California with each other. While on their road trip, Grampa has a stroke and dies. As a result, the Joad family has a funeral service for their Grampa and bury him, even though they know it is illegal to such a thing.
As the Joad Family and the Wilson Family continue their journey to California, their daughter, Sairy Wilson, becomes sick as well and the Wilsons are left with no choice but to stay back with her. The Joads continued on the trip to California in search of work. Soon after this, Granma becomes ill. The Joads decide whether they should let natural causes do its work or if they should take care of her. Ma Joad decides it’s best if everyone stays together. Just as the Joads are across the desert, Granma’s illness gets worse.
Knowing that she won’t last the night, Ma stays with her in the back of the boxcar, to spend her last moments with her. Once again, the Joad Family decide the best option is to bury their Granma because they cannot afford the full price of a proper funeral. A young man in the camp named Floyd Knowles was talking to the men who controlled the camps and then suddenly a cop passed by. When asking the businessmen for a “wage-offer,” the cops nearly arrested him and was accused of being a “red.” Knowles was in great danger as the police were ganging up on him to beat him. To save his friend, Tom comes and attacks the police. Knowing Tom is on parole, Casy took the blame for it and was arrested.
The Joads travel to another camp, as it is not safe for Tom to be at the other one. They arrive at the camp, “Weedpatch,” but only stay a for a month, as it was very dangerous, so the Joads continue their road trip west. While driving, the family was offered a job of peach-picking, and in need of the money, they took it.
The family only earns about 5 cents a box that they fill with peaches. This money is nowhere near the amount that the family is in need of, but it is better than nothing. Tom runs into Casy and he explains that he is organizing the people for the strike against the businessmen because of the poor wages. Casy is hit with a weapon by the police and is instantly killed. Out of anger and revenge, Tom fights against the policeman who killed his friend and uses the same weapon to smash his skull. After this, Joad goes into hiding, as he cannot be seen with a bruised eye and a broken nose, for he would be questioned.
As a result of Tom being a runaway felon, the Joads have to leave Weedpatch the next morning. They then find work in cotton-picking, along with the Wainwright family. Joad’s younger sister, Ruthie, got into an argument with another girl over a piece of candy Ma bought them. She then spills the secret of Tom’s actions with the police. Not wanting to do so, Ma tells Joad to go on his own, as it is the best and safest option for the whole family.
The weather in California starts to get worse and worse. Rain is pouring and destroying all the crops. Dirt is getting muddy and the Joads boxcar is soon taken away by the mudslide. Rose of Sharon gives birth to a stillborn baby. The Joads search for a home and find a barn with a young boy and sick old man. The young boy shares with the family that his dad is sick and cannot eat solid food, he needs soup or liquid in his body. Ma and Rose of Sharon both have the same thoughts. Rose of Sharon asks everyone to exit the barn as she lets the man suckle her.
